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Language and Literature

Student Organizations and Publications

Sigma Tau Delta

Welcome

Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University. We strive to promote interest in literature and the English language. Our goal is to advance all aspects of the discipline of English, including literature, language, and writing. We also aim to serve our society by fostering literacy.

Meetings

Sigma Tau Delta meetings are on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m. in Fore Hall Blue Room. Feel free to bring a lunch to the meetings so we can lunch as we conduct business.

*Meeting times may change based on the membership and their ability to attend the scheduled meetings. Please contact Dr. Pamela Wright (pamela.wright@tamuk.edu) to confirm the meeting time and place for the semester.

Activities

Sigma Tau Delta always has fun with many activities, such as literary film festivals, monthly colloquiums, semester celebration dinners and induction ceremonies, and trips to archives of famous writers at The Harry Ransom Center in Austin. We also serve our local community with service projects, like the children’s library we built for the local after-school program here in Kingsville.

On an international level, Sigma Tau Delta offers opportunities for conference presentations at the annual convention, publication opportunities through their journals, editing internships at publishing houses in New York City, and many scholarship opportunities.

Membership

Membership in Sigma Tau Delta is by invitation, extended through a local chapter on behalf of the international organization. Students who qualify for membership must apply through the chapter on their campus. Once a student contacts the local chapter, the Sponsor will check the qualifications and, if approved, recommend that student for membership. 

Student Membership

Student membership is available to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at a college or university with an active Sigma Tau Delta chapter and who meet the following academic qualifications.

  • Candidates for undergraduate membership must have completed a minimum of two college courses in English language or literature beyond the usual requirements in freshman English. The candidate must have a minimum of a B or equivalent average in English and in general scholarship, must rank* at least in the highest thirty-five percent of his/ her class, and must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college course work. Candidates for undergraduate membership need not be majoring or minoring in the discipline of English. *This requirement may also be interpreted as "have an overall B average in general scholarship" (e.g., 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale). 
  • Candidates for graduate membership who did not hold undergraduate membership must be enrolled in a graduate program in English or one of its specializations, have completed six semester hours of graduate work or the equivalent, and have a minimum grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

Membership Benefits

Student membership in Sigma Tau Delta is an outward recognition of personal accomplishment and signifies that those invited to join Sigma Tau Delta have achieved the Society’s high standards of academic excellence. Benefits of membership include:

Academic Recognition

  • Members receive a personalized Sigma Tau Delta membership certificate and the official Society pin to signify high achievement in English language, writing, and literature.
  • Members may wear Sigma Tau Delta regalia at graduation and other important ceremonies to celebrate their accomplishments.

Scholarships

  • Members are eligible to apply for a variety of Sigma Tau Delta scholarships valued at up to $5000 each.
  • Members are eligible to apply for a merit-based $1,000 scholarship to attend The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) Summer Institute or Capital Semester.
  • This scholarship is available to one Sigma Tau Delta member per year through a partnership with TFAS and the Association of College Honor Societies.

Internships

  • Members may apply for Sigma Tau Delta co-sponsored internships with a major publisher and an online book store that funds world-wide literacy initiatives.
  • Members are eligible for a $500 merit-based scholarship to attend the Washington Internship (WII) internship program through a partnership with WII and the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS).
  • Members are eligible to apply for a $1,000 housing scholarship to attend The Washington Center.
  • (TWC) internship program through a partnership with TWC and the Association of College Honor Societies. TWC has designated three scholarships per year for Sigma Tau Delta members (both undergraduates and recent college graduates).

Annual Convention

  • Members may submit papers for presentation at the annual Sigma Tau Delta international convention. Works selected for presentation are also eligible for overall awards and monetary prizes.
  • Members who attend the annual convention have opportunities to hear students from throughout the U.S. and abroad present their creative and critical writing, to attend sessions on student leadership and chapter activities, and to listen to presentations by noted authors. Featured speakers at recent conventions include Neil Gaiman (2009), Azar Nafisi (2010), Poet Laureate Kay Ryan (2011), Natasha Trethewey (2012), and Ursula Le Guin (2013).

Career Advancement

  • Members may use their honor society affiliation as a tangible sign of academic success to help advance their professional career.
  • Members meet one of the U.S. Civil Service Commission requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level in numerous professional and technical occupations in the Federal service, thus beginning employment at a higher level and higher salary.